Saguaro held on for a close 31-23 victory over Cactus in the Division III championship game. Saguaro defended it's title from last year, but struggled against the team they'd blown out 62-24 earlier in the year. Cactus was able to jump out to an early lead, taking advantage of every opportunity and Saguaro mishap. However, once again Saguaro's D.J. Foster made big plays in the second half to secure the win.
The Saguaro offense was stifled early, and Foster was having a tough time finding the open space he thrives in on offense. After quarterback Luke Rubenzer's fumble was returned by Cactus' Chris Jennings for a touchdown and a 17-7 lead in the second quarter, another championship upset looked not only possible, but plausible. Rubenzer quickly got back on track and threw a crucial touchdown pass to end the half within striking distance, 17-14.
Cactus grabbed the second half momentum early with a 56-yard bomb from Mike Putko to Jacob Schaefer, increasing the lead to 23-14. The momentum didn't last long, as Foster capped off the very next drive with a 10-yard scoring reception. Later, after a defensive stop, Saguaro drove the ball 91 yards and eventually scored with another Rubenzer to Foster touchdown connection of 9 yards and the first lead of the game. After tacking on a late field goal, Cactus had one last chance and almost pulled it off after a 62-yard pass by Putko took the ball to Saguaro's 12-yard line. However, Putko threw an interception two plays later and the title was Saguaro's once again.
Foster, likely the player of the year in Arizona, finished with a tough 210 yards on the ground along with two touchdown receptions and another rushing score. Saguaro head coach John Sanders took a lot of heat after the last week of the season when he sat a number of healthy starters against eventual Division II champ Chaparral. His team was punished with the #5 seed for the playoffs and whether or not his tactic was fair or foul is a topic for another discussion, but the his overall goal is to win a state title and his Saguaro team has now done that in consecutive years.
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